


Can't Live Without Love

by atrick_oflight



Series: Gifts and Exchanges [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: A teeny weeny bit of, Angst, Comfort, General fic exchange, Tumblr Prompt, Tumblr: tumblrsecretsanta, and, gerita - Freeform, spamano - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-30
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 08:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5577961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atrick_oflight/pseuds/atrick_oflight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Romano comforts Italy about some stupid thing Germany said to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Can't Live Without Love

**Author's Note:**

> \- Written for the APH Gen Exchange on tumblr for @i-talian-sushi

Italy stared out the window dismally as the rain continued to pour. His heart ached and no matter how much he tried to keep his mind preoccupied on something else, it kept coming back. He sighed and hugged his knees to his chest. He wished that he hadn’t gone over to Germany’s house earlier. Maybe then he wouldn’t have tears streaming down his face, mimicking the rain that fell to the earth.

 

“Oi, Veneziano, I’m home!” He heard his brother call out.

 

Normally, he’d come bounding up to his _fratello_ and hug him, greeting him and helping him get comfortable. But he was just not in the mood today. He didn't even make pasta for dinner. Sighing, he called out a rather quiet ‘Welcome home’ to his brother, but kept staring out the window. He watched as a man and a woman met on the street and greeted each other with a hug.

 

“Veny?” Romano asked, coming into the living room, finding his _fratellino_ sulking by the bay window. “What the hell are you doing sulking there?”

 

Romano placed his right hand on his hip, using the other to hold on to the bag of tomatoes and groceries he got while he was out. He glared at his brother and walked over, staring him down. Still, his brother seemed to ignore him. Following Italy’s gaze, he stared at the soaked couple, laughing together and hugging. Rounding back to his brother, Romano quirked an eyebrow. “Why are you staring at that couple like they have it all and you don’t?”

 

Italy sighed again, and faced his brother. His brother’s gaze was meant to be harsh, but Italy could see that it was just another one of the walls Romano had unconsciously put up. “It’s nothing, _fratello_. You don’t need to worry.” he said, then turned back to the couple, who was currently walking away.

 

Romano grasped his brother’s shoulder gently, but firmly and forced him to look at him. “ _Cazzata_ , Veny! What’s wrong?” This time, when Romano stared into Italy’s eyes, they had sincerity and worry in them. He sat across his little brother and held him at arm’s length. “You can’t hide anything from me, _fratellino_ , and you know it.”

 

Italy’s tears had started to dry up, but staring at his brother’s seriously concerned face caused him to well up again and burst into more tears. “Wah! _Fratello_!” he sobbed, breaking away from Romano’s hold and launching into his arms, clinging onto him for dear life. Romano was shocked, but held onto his brother anyway and started rubbing small, soothing circles into his back. “Shh, shh, it’s alright. You don’t need to cry,” he murmured.

 

“ _Fratello_ ,” Italy hiccuped. “G-Germany--I--wah!” Romano halted his movements for a second before resuming, his teeth gritted and gaze hard.

 

“What did that damn potato bastard do, Veny? What did he say? Did he hurt you? I’ll kill him--”

 

“No! Please no, Roma,” the younger brother sobbed. “He didn’t do anything wrong--”

 

“Then why the hell are you a sobbing mess?”

 

“B-because,” he sniffled. “Well, he t-told me that we countries weren’t allowed to fall in love….” Romano stared at him blankly, and Italy suddenly felt stupid and sad. “I-I know it’s stupid…. Crying over a reason like this, but-”

 

“What are you talking about, _stupido_ ? It’s not stupid. If anything’s stupid, it’s that damn potato bastard. He shouldn’t go around saying things like that!” Romano said. He held his little brother at arm’s length again, and stared him straight in his eyes. “Don’t listen to that dumb _stronzo_. We’re countries, we aren’t forbidden to love. If anything, we are given, not only the right, but the obligation to love!”

 

Italy stared at his brother in shock. “As countries, we’re supposed to nurture our people. We’re supposed to care and treat them with love. Sure, if it’s romantic love for a human, it would be hard and full of ups and downs. It would end in heartbreak, pain and sadness. But that’s what makes it more special! With humans, we’re allowed a short time to see the world in their point of view. To see the beauty of it all, with a time limit! At least you could say you were able to experience something wonderful--something you could treasure forever. If not forever, at least for a long time.

 

“And if it wasn’t for a human, if it was for another country, well…. It’s not wrong. And it’s definitely not...impossible, either. Sure, it’ll be painful, but, then again, all kinds of love are.”

 

Romano had a dead serious look in his eyes. Italy couldn’t help but drink up everything his brother was saying. “B-but, why, _fratello_? Why are they all painful?”

 

Romano smiled in a way Italy hadn’t seen in a long smile. It was a smile he would show only him and their _nonno_. A smile that said, ‘Even if it’s silly, it makes me feel good’. Romano moved his free hand to caress his little brother’s hair and chuckled a little. “Because, Veny,”

 

He smiled wider. In the way that he always did before he became cynical, jaded and closed-off. He smiled in a way that instantly made Italy feel better, like everything was okay. Like it was, before everything became as it was today.

 

“Love is complicated. It requires a lot of attention and care. The slightest slip, and it might just cost you everything you worked hard for. That little slip, might even be someone just being better than you in a little way... I know from experience,” The smile seemed to slip a bit as Romano looked away, his eyes holding a dismal light and his expression contorting to one of poorly hidden anxiety. But when he looked back into Italy’s eyes, they all disappeared, he seemed to relax and the smile was back on his face.

 

“When you love somebody, you will do anything and everything for them, to keep them happy, won’t you?” he asked. Italy nodded like a lost little puppy. “Even if it hurts you, right?” Again, Italy nodded. “Sacrifice, is a very painful thing. It isn’t called sacrifice for nothing. But as a country, sacrificing for another country, it would be worse.

 

“Because of the love you hold for this country, you might end up doing something irrational, sacrificing not only yourself, but your country’s needs and your people’s needs.” Romano wiped away his little brother’s partially dry tears, then pulled him close and cuddled his. “The point, Veneziano, is that even if it’s hard, go for it. Because the world wouldn’t be able to function properly without love.”

 

Italy smiled and hugged his brother back. He nodded and let out a soft giggle. “Yes, _fratello_ . _Grazie_ , ve~”

 

Romano pulled away, smiling still. “Anytime, _fratellino_." Standing up, he held his hand out for Italy to reach and said, “Come on, let’s go make some pasta!”

 

“Pasta, ve~”

 

As Italy skipped past him, and towards the kitchen, Romano was left alone with his thoughts. He thought about what he told Italy and sighed. _Love for another country, huh? Never gonna happen to me._ he thought, giving himself a mental, mocking laugh.

 

“Oh, right! _Fratello_ , big brother Spain was with me at Germany’s house earlier! He said he really needed to talk to you about something the other day, but you ignored him and left in a hurry, or so he says anyway. So he’s coming over for dinner! Oh, and Germany, too!”

 

“WHAT? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SOONER, STUPID?”

  
  


**-Written for APH Gen Exchange 2015 on tumblr for i-talian-sushi**

**Author's Note:**

> -Written for the APH Gen Exchange on tumblr for @i-talian-sushi


End file.
